EditorsJun 17, 2024
Q&A: Al Cook on the Future of De BeersLab-GrownOct 02, 2024
Lightbox Continues as a Brand, While Supplies Last?
The De Beers-owned lab-grown diamond company is rebranding and creating new collections, though its long-term future remains unclear.
Lightbox worked with creative studio Decade on one of its two new campaigns for fall 2024. Shot on location in New York City, it features model and actress Emma Breschi and members of her family, including her lola (grandmother) Tess, pictured at left with Breschi.
Gresham, Ore.—Lightbox revealed its plans to rebrand late last week, just a few months after De Beers Group announced it would no longer be growing the gem-quality diamonds Lightbox uses in its jewelry.
The rebrand includes a new logo, tagline (“Bringing light to life”), website, and packaging, as well as two small new jewelry collections, “Reminiscence” and “City Lights,” and a pair of campaigns that will run simultaneously this fall.
The first campaign stars actor and model Emma Breschi alongside her sister and maternal grandmother and is designed to be the more emotional of the two, tapping into the idea of jewelry as an accessory that’s worn and shared across generations.
Meanwhile, the second campaign, created around the theme of “Shine Bright Spend Less,” is more practical in nature, emphasizing Lightbox’s recently lowered prices as well as the overall affordability of lab-grown diamond jewelry.
It includes the tagline, “The only thing that’s rare are our prices,” a nod to both the product’s pricing as well as its lack of rarity in comparison with natural diamonds.
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The rebrand includes a new logo, tagline (“Bringing light to life”), website, and packaging, as well as two small new jewelry collections, “Reminiscence” and “City Lights,” and a pair of campaigns that will run simultaneously this fall.
The first campaign stars actor and model Emma Breschi alongside her sister and maternal grandmother and is designed to be the more emotional of the two, tapping into the idea of jewelry as an accessory that’s worn and shared across generations.
Meanwhile, the second campaign, created around the theme of “Shine Bright Spend Less,” is more practical in nature, emphasizing Lightbox’s recently lowered prices as well as the overall affordability of lab-grown diamond jewelry.
It includes the tagline, “The only thing that’s rare are our prices,” a nod to both the product’s pricing as well as its lack of rarity in comparison with natural diamonds.
During the Las Vegas jewelry shows in late May/early June, De Beers announced plans to shift all production at its diamond-growing factory in Gresham, Oregon—the $94 million facility purpose-built for Lightbox and opened in late 2020—to industrial diamonds.
In an interview conducted at the JCK show on May 31, De Beers CEO Al Cook told National Jeweler that Lightbox as a brand would still exist, with gem-quality diamond production continuing at the factory “for a few months” to ensure it has stock to sell.
When asked what happens when the brand exhausts its current supply of stones and De Beers is no longer growing diamonds for jewelry, Cook said in May that it was “too early to say.”
Lightbox CEO Antoine Borde was not made available to National Jeweler for an interview regarding the company’s rebranding and its future, but a De Beers Group spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that the Gresham factory is no longer producing diamonds for Lightbox.
The spokesperson also reiterated Cook’s response from May about Lightbox’s long-term future, noting the brand’s “ongoing role in supporting differentiation between natural and lab-grown diamonds.”
Lightbox’s “Poet” hoop earrings from the “Reminiscence” collection, seen here in 14-karat white gold, are set with half-carat lab-grown diamonds and retail for $700.
This “Alberta” necklace from Lightbox’s other new collection, “City Lights,” retails for $700. The pieces in both new collections are available in 14-karat yellow or white gold.
The “Wistful” lab-grown diamond drop earrings from “Reminiscence,” seen here in 14-karat yellow gold, retail for $600. They total 0.5 carats (a quarter carat in each ear).
The three-stone “Sellwood” ring from the “City Lights” collection, pictured here in 14-karat white gold, retails for $600.
Lightbox’s rebrand included new jewelry boxes.
Lightbox’s new logo, tagline, and campaign imagery went live across all the brand’s channels last week, and its updated website launched.
Six of the seven pieces in the “Reminiscence” capsule collection are out now as well (release of the final piece, the “Wistful” ring, is delayed). Inspired by the memories evoked by jewelry, prices for the pieces in the line range from $500-$800.
The “City Lights” collection, a 10-piece assortment featuring lab-grown diamonds in “scattered” settings meant to mimic a city skyline at dusk, will launch later this month.
Lightbox said these new collections are the first in a series of “trend-driven” product drops it plans to make this fall.
They follow the launch of a capsule collection of “special value” tennis necklaces and bracelets, all of which are priced lower than they should be according to Lightbox’s new per-carat pricing structure.
For example, a Lightbox tennis necklace set with 12.5 carats of E-F color, VS clarity diamonds is priced at $8,125. That works out to about $650 per carat, less than the $900 per carat Lightbox currently charges for its top-quality (“Finest”) goods.
“Our accessible prices, our fun and colorful innovations, and our fashion-focused lab-grown diamond jewelry collections underpin Lightbox’s broad appeal,” Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Crivillaro said in a press release.
“As we lean into our next chapter with a revived identity, new creative campaigns, and bold price messaging, we look to connect more deeply with our customers.”
Lightbox said it will continue to roll out its new brand identity with a mix of digital and social media, direct mail, and out-of-home placements later this month.
Six of the seven pieces in the “Reminiscence” capsule collection are out now as well (release of the final piece, the “Wistful” ring, is delayed). Inspired by the memories evoked by jewelry, prices for the pieces in the line range from $500-$800.
The “City Lights” collection, a 10-piece assortment featuring lab-grown diamonds in “scattered” settings meant to mimic a city skyline at dusk, will launch later this month.
Lightbox said these new collections are the first in a series of “trend-driven” product drops it plans to make this fall.
They follow the launch of a capsule collection of “special value” tennis necklaces and bracelets, all of which are priced lower than they should be according to Lightbox’s new per-carat pricing structure.
For example, a Lightbox tennis necklace set with 12.5 carats of E-F color, VS clarity diamonds is priced at $8,125. That works out to about $650 per carat, less than the $900 per carat Lightbox currently charges for its top-quality (“Finest”) goods.
“Our accessible prices, our fun and colorful innovations, and our fashion-focused lab-grown diamond jewelry collections underpin Lightbox’s broad appeal,” Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Crivillaro said in a press release.
“As we lean into our next chapter with a revived identity, new creative campaigns, and bold price messaging, we look to connect more deeply with our customers.”
Lightbox said it will continue to roll out its new brand identity with a mix of digital and social media, direct mail, and out-of-home placements later this month.
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